International
Nicolás Maduro says that the cane will remain in good hands in the years to come
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, said this Friday, when there are 23 days left for the presidential elections, that the staff of command of the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces will remain in “good hands” in the years to come and, he said, “never” will fall into the hands of an “oligarch.”
“I swear to you soldiers of my homeland, I swear to you people of Venezuela, that this command baton of commander-in-chief of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) (…) will remain in good hands in the years to come,” said the president, who led a civic-military parade in Caracas, about Independence Day in Venezuela.
Maduro maintained that the command baton will “never” fall into the hands of an “oligarch, a puppet, a traitor, I swear, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces will never have that embarrassing act of dishonor.”
The president of Venezuela added that that cane has been carried with “honor, honesty.”
“I have never trembled any imperial threat from the north or anyone, or from oligarchs, or from fascists,” he said.
He added that patriotism is out of love for history, for the right to the future, to be free and independent.
“When we say that we are anti-colonialist and anti-imperialist we do it out of love for the right we have to be free and in our homeland to decide what we have to decide,” he said.
This Friday, the candidate of Venezuela’s largest opposition coalition – Democratic Unitary Platform (PUD) -, Edmundo González Urrutia, promised to modernize the FANB for the “new strategic military scenarios that are glimpsed at the national and global level,” in case of winning the presidential elections on July 28.
“Soldiers of the Venezuelan Armed Forces for that reason the Venezuelan people ask them to respect the results of their electoral decision (…) the Venezuelan people count on their military institution to respect and respect their sovereign will on July 28,” he said in a statement, about the 213 years of Venezuela’s independence.
International
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
COVID-19 vaccines prevented an estimated 2,533,000 deaths worldwide between 2020 and 2024, according to an international study led by Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Italy and Stanford University in the United States, published in the journal JAMA Health Forum. Researchers calculated that one death was prevented for every 5,400 doses administered.
The analysis also found that the vaccines saved 14.8 million years of life, equivalent to one year of life gained for every 900 doses given.
The study, coordinated by Professor Stefania Boccia, revealed that 82% of the lives saved were people vaccinated before becoming infected with the virus, and 57% of deaths avoided occurred during the Omicron wave. In addition, 90% of the beneficiaries were adults over 60 years old.
“This is the most comprehensive analysis to date, based on global data and fewer assumptions about the evolution of the pandemic,” explained Boccia and researcher Angelo Maria Pezzullo.
International
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump criticized a federal judge’s ruling on Friday that reinstated Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua, stressing that the immigration program was never intended to serve as a “de facto asylum system.”
On Thursday, Judge Trina Thompson extended protections for about 7,000 Nepalese immigrants, whose TPS was set to expire on August 5. The ruling also impacts roughly 51,000 Hondurans and nearly 3,000 Nicaraguans, whose TPS protections were scheduled to end on September 8.
Immigrants covered by TPS had sued the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), alleging that the program’s termination was driven by “racial animus” and stripped them of protection from deportation.
DHS Deputy Undersecretary Tricia McLaughlin issued a statement saying the decision to end TPS was part of a mandate to “restore the integrity” of the immigration system and return the program to its original purpose.
“TPS was never conceived as a de facto asylum system; however, that is how previous administrations have used it for decades,” McLaughlin emphasized.
She also criticized Judge Thompson, calling the ruling “another example” of judges “stirring up claims of racism to distract from the facts.”
McLaughlin added that DHS would appeal the decision and take the legal battle to higher courts.
The Trump administration has also terminated TPS protections for approximately 160,000 Ukrainians, 350,000 Venezuelans, and at least half a million Haitians, among other immigrant groups.
International
Trump to build $200M ballroom at the White House by 2028
The U.S. government under President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that it will begin construction in September on a new 8,000-square-meter ballroom at the White House.
The announcement was made by Karoline Leavitt, the administration’s press secretary, during a briefing in which she explained that the expansion responds to the need for a larger venue to host “major events.”
“Other presidents have long wished for a space capable of accommodating large gatherings within the White House complex… President Trump has committed to solving this issue,” Leavitt told reporters.
The project is estimated to cost $200 million, fully funded through donations from Trump himself and other “patriots,” according to a government statement. Construction is scheduled to begin in September and is expected to be completed before Trump’s term ends in 2028.
The Clark Construction Group, a Virginia-based company known for projects such as the Capital One Arena and L’Enfant Plaza in Washington, D.C., has been selected to lead the project.
The new ballroom will be built on the East Wing of the White House, expanding the iconic residence with a space designed for state dinners, official ceremonies, and large-scale events.
Study finds COVID-19 vaccines prevented 2.5 million deaths worldwide
Trump administration blasts judge’s ruling reinstating TPS for Honduras, Nepal, and Nicaragua
Costa Rica faces historic vote on lifting presidential immunity for Rodrigo Chaves
Tec de Monterrey honors one of its students for his contribution to nanotechnology in medicine
Defense Minister commends salvadoran soldier for Central American Cross Country victory
Extension of the state of emergency approved in southern Chile
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